The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 14, 2014
Filed:
Jan. 11, 2013
Michael P. Stewart, San Francisco, CA (US);
Prabhat Kumar, Fremont, CA (US);
Kapila P. Wijekoon, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Lin Zhang, San Jose, CA (US);
Hari K. Ponnekanti, San Jose, CA (US);
Michael P. Stewart, San Francisco, CA (US);
Prabhat Kumar, Fremont, CA (US);
Kapila P. Wijekoon, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Lin Zhang, San Jose, CA (US);
Hari K. Ponnekanti, San Jose, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a process for making solar cells. Particularly, embodiments of the invention provide simultaneously co-firing (e.g., thermally processing) metal layers disposed both on a first and a second surface of a solar cell substrate to complete the metallization process in one step. By doing so, both the metal layers formed on the first and the second surfaces of the solar cell substrate are co-fired (e.g., simultaneously thermally processed), thereby eliminating manufacturing complexity, cycle time and cost to produce the solar cell device. Embodiments of the invention may also provide a method and solar cell structure that requires a reduced amount of a metallization paste on a rear surface of the substrate to form a rear surface contact structure and, thus, reduce the cost of the formed solar cell device.